This Moroccan lamb stuffed honeynut squash recipe features a cinnamon and cumin spiced lamb filling, sweet roasted squash (you can use honeynut, acorn or even butternut squash) and a crispy brown-butter breadcrumb topping. The combination is sublime! It's a show-stopping main course that's just as fitting on a weeknight table as on a special occasion menu.
Ingredients
This recipe features honeynut squashes, which look like mini butternuts but have a richer, sweeter flavor (and did I mention that they're ADORABLE?). They're worth seeking out, as they have a delicious buttery flesh, but if you can’t find them, you can use acorn squashes or even small butternut squashes instead.
The squashes are stuffed with ground lamb, which gets seasoned with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, mint and cilantro. Tomato paste lends depth of flavor, chicken stock provides moisture, and pine nuts add texture. The filling is delicious all on its own (I've been known to eat it straight up with a spoon).
How to make this lamb stuffed honeynut squash recipe
Make the Moroccan lamb filling
- Brown ground lamb in a skillet. Transfer the lamb to a bowl, discarding any drippings.
- In the same skillet, sauté onions until tender. Add garlic, ginger and tomato paste. Cook until fragrant.
- Add cumin, coriander, cinnamon and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer.
- Scrape the browned lamb back into the skillet and add fresh mint, cilantro and pine nuts. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until thickened slightly.
Roast the honeynut squash
- Slice the squashes in half vertically, then scrape out their seeds (a grapefruit spoon works great for this!).
- Place the squash halves cut side down on a lightly oiled piece of parchment paper. Bake in a 400˚F oven until tender, 25-30 minutes.
- Flip the squashes over and let them cool slightly before stuffing (or you can eat them directly!). You can roast the squash up to 8 hours in advance and leave them at room temperature.
Make the brown butter breadcrumb topping
To take the stuffed squashes over the top, they're sprinkled with a crunchy feta and breadcrumb topping. The secret is to toss the breadcrumbs in a tablespoon of browned butter, which provides a rich, nutty flavor (I might never make breadcrumbs without browned butter again, and you shouldn't either 😉).
Once the squash halves are stuffed, bake them in a 500˚F oven until the breadcrumbs are toasted and the filling is warmed through (about 5 minutes). The result is a savory, sweet, crispy, and all-around irresistible main course.
Can you make the stuffed squash ahead?
You can prep the squash ahead, making this a perfect dish for entertaining. The lamb filling can be made a day or two in advance, and the the squashes can be roasted up to 8 hours in advance. Before your guests arrive, stuff the squash halves with the lamb filling (they can sit at room temperature for an hour). When it's time to eat, all you have to do is slide the pan into the oven to toast up the breadcrumbs and warm the filling. 🙌
FAQs
Honeynut squash is a miniature hybrid of butternut squash. It has a deeper orange color and sweeter flavor.
Yes! You can absolutely eat the skin of honeynut squash, which is a fantastic source of fiber. I love it, but it's a personal preference (if you don't like the skins, just eat the filling and leave the skins behind).
A simple green salad is all you need to round out this stuffed squash dinner.
Yes! I love the flavor of ground lamb in this recipe, but ground beef is an excellent swap.
Tips for making this recipe:
- A grapefruit spoon is an excellent tool for scraping out winter squash seeds!
- If your honeynut squashes are really small, roast four squashes instead of three.
- Be sure to mound the lamb filling firmly into the squash cavities (and over the top of the squash).
- You can swap out the ground lamb for ground beef.
- All you need is a simple green salad to round out this meal.
- Try these vegetarian quinoa and apple stuffed honeynut squashes!
*This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links to products I use and love (from which I earn income, at no cost to you). Thank you for supporting From Scratch Fast!
Other squash recipes to try:
- Quinoa, Apple & Spinach Stuffed Honeynut Squash
- Butternut Squash Salad with Apples & Sage
- Roasted Delicata Squash
- Delicata Squash Salad with Pomegranates & Goat Cheese
- Roasted Acorn Squash Slices with Maple Brown Butter Vinaigrette
Cozy main courses you might like:
- Lamb Ragu with Mint & Ricotta
- BEST Slow Cooker Beef Chili
- Mexican White Bean Chicken Soup
- Easy Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
I'd love to answer any of your questions and see what you're cooking!! Don't forget to give this recipe a star rating and leave a comment below. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube & Pinterest, and be sure to tag @nickisizemore so that I can share your creations!
Get the recipe!
Moroccan Lamb Stuffed Squash
Ingredients
Squash
- Cooking spray
- 3 honeynut or 2 acorn squashes, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped out and discarded
Lamb filling
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound ground lamb
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
Breadcrumb topping
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup gluten-free or regular panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
Roast the squash
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment and spray it lightly with cooking spray.
- Place the squash halves, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Roast until tender, 25-30 minutes for honeynut squash, or 40-50 minutes for acorn squash. Remove the pan from the oven and flip each squash over so that the cut side is facing up. Set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 550˚F. Do Ahead: The squash can be roasted up to 8 hours in advance. Leave at room temperature.
Make the lamb filling
- While the squash cooks, make the filling. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the lamb, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through (if the lamb releases a lot of fat while cooking, spoon it off as it cooks). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate and discard the drippings.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Sprinkle in the cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cayenne. Stir until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth and give everything a good stir, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil. Return the meat to the skillet, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes, or until thickened.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the pine nuts, mint and cilantro. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly.
Make the breadcrumb topping
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until the butter is golden brown and smells nutty. Pour the butter over the breadcrumbs and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, and then fold in the feta.
Assemble and bake
- Season the squash halves with salt and pepper (if using acorn squash, I like to add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup to each squash cavity since it's not as sweet as honeynut). Spoon the lamb filling into each squash cavity, mounding it firmly in the cavity and over the top of the squash. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over each squash, pressing them to adhere. Do Ahead: The stuffed squash can sit at room temperature for up to 1 hour.
- Roast the stuffed squash in the 550˚F oven until the top is lightly browned and crisp, about 4-6 minutes. Garnish with additional mint and cilantro before serving.
Notes
- You can refrigerate the lamb filling for up to 2 days before stuffing the squash.
- The squash halves can be roasted up to 8 hours in advance (leave them at room temperature).
- You can stuff the squash halves up to 1 hour before baking (leave them at room temperature).
- A grapefruit spoon is an excellent tool for scraping out winter squash seeds!
- If your honeynut squashes are really small, roast four squashes instead of three.
- Be sure to mound the lamb filling firmly into the squash cavities (and over the top of the squash).
- You can swap out the ground lamb for ground beef.
- All you need is a simple green salad to round out this meal.
- Try these vegetarian quinoa and apple stuffed honeynut squashes!
Mary Alumbaugh says
Loved this recipe. I’m going to add this recipe for my fall cooking. I made this with butternut squash but I will be looking for honey nut squash. I will be checking out other Moroccan recipes
Nicki Sizemore says
Wonderful! I'm so happy to hear, Mary.
Chrissy says
Wow I have never had honeynut squash and this was perfect to try with this delicious lamb recipe. This will now be my go-to recipe! I didn't have pinenuts so I subbed dried cranberries. Mmmmm...every warm bite was like a fall party in my mouth!
Nicki Sizemore says
Thank you so much for your comment, Chrissy, and I'm thrilled you loved the recipe! (And I'm definitely stealing the term, "fall party in my mouth"! 😂)
Carol Parsons says
Delish!!! Will definitely make this again! Was great to prepare parts early and put together right before dinner. I used GF panko.
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Carol, thanks for your comment, and I'm so glad you enjoyed!!
Barbara F. says
This recipe is a keeper. Made 1/2 recipe for the two of us and and subbed almonds for the pine nuts because that’s what was on hand. The proportions were perfect for one acorn squash. We’re not big fans of sweets so I didn’t add any honey or maple syrup. Delicious! The notes were especially helpful, allowing me to make the components in the morning and put dinner together quickly.
Nicki Sizemore says
Hooray! Thank you so much for your comment.
Terry M says
Made this with a small halved butternut squash. I scooped out some of the flesh to make room for more stuffing. My husband and I both loved it! He's not the biggest squash fan, but with the lamb and all the great flavors, he ate an entire half squash and said, "don't lose this recipe!" It could easily be adapted to a veep or vegan dish, but we loved it as is.
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Terry, thank you for your comment, and I'm so happy to hear that you and your husband loved the squash!
joe melcher says
This was fantastic! I used a Kubocha squash I had on hand and blended perfectly with the mix. Did not have chicken broth handy so I used some beef broth, which was fine. I love my spices so I pretty much doubled those and it was d*** tasty! Making it again tomorrow night for my son, coming home to visit. Prep time is pretty good. Cook the squash while prepping the onions and meat.
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Joe, thank you so much for your comment, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the stuffed squash! Great tips about using kabocha squash and subbing in beef broth. (p.s. enjoy your visit with your son!)
Russell Bogin says
This was delicious. Made some modifications all keeping in the spirit of the recipe. Added a can of chickpeas, along with a 1/4 cup of raisins, a tablespoon of harissa and a dice preserved lemon. I didn't have pine nuts handy so I toasted the squash seeds and used those. Really nice dinner.
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Russell, I'm so glad you liked the recipe, and I love your addition of chickpeas, harissa and preserved lemon!!